Decades ago, WRVO Public Media began broadcasting old-time radio with a small collection comprising 20 reel-to-reel tapes. Today the collection includes nearly 7,000 reels and over 20,000 broadcasts.
"Tuned to Yesterday" is public radio's premier old-time radio show, hosted by Mark Lavonier. The highest quality broadcasts are restored and played as they were heard years and years ago. You'll hear programs like "The Whistler," "The Jack Benny Show," "Fibber McGee and Molly," "Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy," and "Gunsmoke" – spanning all genres.
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Drama: Sleep No More “The Escape of Dr. Trimm” 3/13/57 NBC, Lights Out “Profits Unlimited” 7/20/43 CBS. -
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Mystery: New Adventures of Nero Wolfe “The Case of the Friendly Rabbit” 12/1/50 NBC, Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar “All Too Easy Matter” 6/17/62 CBS. -
Romance: Screen Directors’ Playhouse “Next Time, We Love” 3/29/51 NBC. -
Horror: Creaking Door “I See Ghosts” later 1940’s Syndicated, Creeps By Night “The Hunt” 5/9/44 NBC Blue. -
Drama: Everyman’s Theater “The Women Stayed at Home” 12/20/40 NBC, Bright Star “Oil Stock Swindle” 10/23/52 Syndicated.
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Mystery: New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes “The Manor House Case” 10/15/45 MBS, Fat Man “Murder is the Medium” 7/22/49 ABC.
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Comedy: Fibber McGee and Molly 10/9/45 NBC, Academy Award Theater “The Front Page” 6/22/46 CBS. -
Science Fiction: X Minus One “Cold Equations” 8/25/55 NBC, Beyond Tomorrow “Requiem” 4/5/50 CBS. -
Western: Gunsmoke “Trojan War” 2/28/53 CBS, Frontier Gentleman “The Lost Mine” 3/2/58 CBS.
About Tuned to Yesterday
Decades ago, WRVO began broadcasting old-time radio from a small collection of 20 reel-to-reel tapes. Today, "Tuned to Yesterday" is public radio's premier old-time radio show, featuring a collection of over 20,000 broadcasts. Listeners can enjoy classics from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, including "The Jack Benny Show," "The Whistler," "Gunsmoke," and more, spanning all genres from drama to comedy.
Meet the Host: Mark Lavonier
"Tuned to Yesterday" is hosted and produced by WRVO's Mark Lavonier. Mark is also the local host of "All Things Considered."
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: When is "Tuned to Yesterday" on the air? A: "Tuned to Yesterday" airs nightly in two places:
- WRVO-1 Stream (10 p.m. - Midnight): This is the main nightly broadcast. You can hear it on your radio (main FM signal), on our website, or on our mobile app.
- WRVO-2 Stream (8 p.m. - 10 p.m.): This broadcast features a different episode from our archives. You can hear it on our website or mobile app.
Q: Who hosts "Tuned to Yesterday"? A: The show is hosted and produced by Mark Lavonier.
- Q: Where can I find the "Tuned to Yesterday" schedule? A: We post the complete monthly program schedule on our TTY Schedules page. You can find the full schedule here.